Residents: Stefanik not answering concerns about Trump

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. >> Area residents upset with the Trump Administration’s handling of issues such as healthcare, the environment and immigration want U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik to hear their concerns in a town hall-style meeting.

Tensions escalated Tuesday when about 80 people demonstrated outside her Glens Falls office demanding a meeting, similar to recent activities in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.

Stefanik’s office says the North Country Republican can’t attend a gathering set for 4 p.m. Wednesday at Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls, so organizers say they plan to send her a video of the session.

“There are no brakes on this president right now,” said Nancy Lee Dun, a North Creek resident and local English teacher. “I don’t want [Stefanik] to be a rubber stamp for this administration. We want her to do what’s best for her constituents, not Donald Trump and not [House Speaker] Paul Ryan.”

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Stefanik, 32, began her second term in office on Jan. 1 after defeating Democrat Mike Derrick and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello in November.

Spokesman Tom Flanagin said Stefanik can’t make Wednesday’s event because of a Congressional delegation trip for all new members of the House Intelligence Committee, scheduled since early January.

“Our office is working to schedule meetings with those who have reached out to request them,” he said.

Dunn, a co-organizer of Wednesday’s library meeting, said it is for all citizens, regardless of political affiliation.

“It is not being sponsored by any political party or activist group,” she said.

However, published reports say this week’s Glens Falls demonstration was organized by MoveOn.org, a liberal political advocacy group, as part of a larger Indivisible movement responsible for protests throughout the U.S.

The Indivisible movement is adopting activist strategies similar to what the Tea Party did, shortly after President Barack Obama took office.

Dunn said she does not belong to MoveOn.org.

She said Wednesday’s meeting was scheduled by concerned citizens, not MoveOn.Org, although its members are welcome to attend as well as Trump backers.

“Let’s have a conversation,” she said.

In a recent Facebook posting, Stefanik said protestors have attempted to “hijack” and “ambush” community events such as Saranac Lake’s Winter Carnival parade. She said some staff members have been harassed and specifically targeted, adding that police would be contacted, “If it gets out of hand.”

Stefanik’s 21st Congressional District is the largest geographically east of the Mississippi River, stretching from Watertown and Massena to Stillwater. The southern part of Saratoga County, including Saratoga Springs, is represented by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, who holds town hall-style meetings quite often in his 20th District.

Flanagin said Stefanik attended more than 500 district events during her first term “and she looks forward to continuing this active visit schedule during this Congress.”

“This is in addition to dialing out to tens of thousands of constituents on tele-town halls regularly,” he said. “All groups have been encouraged to reach out to her offices to request in person small group meetings to ensure productive issue discussions instead of nationalized political events where the sole purpose is political theater.”